


The Final Straw

by orphan_account



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: F/F, F/M, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-02
Updated: 2021-01-09
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:28:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 16,028
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26764342
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: After the battle of Hogwarts, the students have to be transferred into different schools for the year, causing the golden trio, the silver trio, Draco, and a bunch of others to be transferred to Ilvermorny. That same semester, Demigods are about to join Ilvermorny in a brand new demigod program that the Gods of Olympus, and Chiron, organized with the MACUSA to bring them together due to a prophecy.
Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter, Luna Lovegood/Ginny Weasley, Nico di Angelo/Will Solace, Percy Jackson/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 67





	1. Prologue

Minerva McGonagall was relieved that the war was over, but it broke her heart as she went through the student records. The first task of her new position as Headmistress was to ensure that all the students that had died in the war were marked as deceased. Such bright young minds ended up with such short lives. 

Every individual died a hero's death. Minerva understood that. Still, nothing would have prepared her for the agony of losing her students – her _children_. The pain she was feeling was unbearable. The old woman had to keep taking breaks from the scroll to keep herself together. Whenever Minerva needed a moment, all but one of the portraits fell silent. "Those students had done a duty necessary to keep our world safe."

"Stay out of it, Albus," Minerva snapped. When Harry confided in his Professor about Dumbledore's manipulation, she was livid. All respect for her long-time friend was gone when she found out what he had done to the boy. "I don’t need your input, seeing as you're willing to put innocent children in the line of danger."

"Minerva-"

"I don't want to hear it!" 

Albus' portrait was about to speak when green flames shot up in the fireplace, and three figures emerged one after the other. The first person to arrive was the Minister of Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt. He made his way towards the Headmistress right away, greeting her with a sympathetic smile. He was joined by a middle-aged man in a wheelchair and a young woman. 

"Hello, Minerva," Kingsley greeted. "I'm afraid my companions and I come with some troubling news."

"And who might these companions be?" Minerva wasn't a fan of surprise visits from anyone, but she remained professional all the same. She pursed her lips as she studied the two unfamiliar visitors, and hid her surprise when they spoke. 

"Terribly sorry to drop-in uninvited," the woman spoke kindly. "I'm Mahogany Olivier, the President of the Magical Congress of the United States of North America. My friend here is Chiron. He's a centaur and takes care of demigods residing in America." 

"What is so important that you have visited my school?" Minerva pressed. She hadn't relaxed since the war ended, still being wary around people outside of her circle. Kingsley bringing in two people from America unannounced? That irritated her to no end. 

"We have received prophecies that detail both demigods and wizards," Chiron explained, calmly. "The reason for the visit is because of the boy in your last prophecy. Harry Potter, is it?"

"That is correct," she nodded, curtly. "This prophecy you speak of, do you have it by chance?"

Chiron pulled out a notepad, and handed it to Minerva:

_Three wars have passed,_

_But peace will not last._

_Titan of the sky,_

_Seeks revenge with a spy._

_To finish what his wife begun,_

_And end the life of his great-grandson_

_Our champion has come on top,_

_A battle that has come to a stop._

_The Dark Lord met his match,_

_And a follower may still latch._

_To seek a method that goes beyond,_

_A Titan who will correspond._

She studied the words on the page, not letting the worry show. The bits about the demigods were lost in translation, but the rest was loud and clear. Her kids wouldn’t be able to go back to Hogwarts in September. "Minister Shacklebolt told us about the war that happened here. My condolences for all the lives lost."

"Thank you," Minerva's eyes met with Chiron's, who gave her a sympathetic look. He had gone through something similar with his Demigods, she was sure of that. "As reluctant as I am to put my students back in the line of danger, it is clear it needs to be done."

"I'm glad you see that," President Olivier said. "I would like to propose you send your best group of students to Ilvermorny for the year. They will go to classes and be sorted into our houses just like the rest of our students, and when the time comes they will fight the oncoming battle with the demigods."

"And where will these demigods be?"

"We are working on a program at Ilvermorny," Chiron explained. "By September, everything will be set up and they will join the school with everyone else."

"We believe that by doing this, everyone will come together and join forces when the time is right." Mahogany continued. "The prophecy seems incomplete. There's a chance there will be a third part, but it will only be spoken when everyone is together in one room."

"I would like to meet with the Headmaster of Ilvermorny." Minerva addressed. "If I am to send my students to a different country, I need to ensure their safety for most of the year."

"Of course, Professor McGonagall," Mahogany agreed. "That will be done. Please expect an Owl in the coming weeks from Professor Tahamente." 

"I hope this goes well."

"We all do, Minerva," Kingsley sighed. He knew the woman well and knew how upsetting this news must be for her. "But Harry will do everything he can to protect everyone. They will be okay."


	2. Pranks and Surprise Visits

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two professors visit Camp Half-Blood

Nova Sterling wasn’t a prominent demigod at camp. The children of Hecate were known to use magic to take shortcuts, and many demigods hated it. This caused Nova to keep to herself and steer clear from conflict. The only time she actively talked to anyone outside Cabin twenty was when Connor and Travis needed their help for a prank. 

The latest prank was on the seven, who were hanging out at the docks on Leo's new and improved Argo II. All Nova had done was supply the brothers with a Dungbomb from her favourite prank supply shop back in Diagon Alley – Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. She explained to the brother how to activate it, and they managed to sneak on the ship and set them off. Nova tried to suppress her giggles as they ran, watching the seven chasings after Connor and Travis. 

Once the Stolls had come out mostly unscathed, they begged Nova to supply them with more products from her friend's shop. She laughed and shook her head, knowing how dangerous it would be if they got their hands on it. Soon, they'd want to meet the creators and the witch couldn’t let that happen. 

She was telling her siblings about the prank at lunch, as everyone had noticed the commotion. Nova was in the middle of the story when two visitors appeared at the entrance of the dining pavilion. Silence and confusion spread and everyone watched as Chiron made his way over to the guests. He greeted them like old friends and invited them to sit and eat with him and Mr. D at Table twelve. 

Nova avoided looking at the witch and wizard as they sat with Mr. D and Chiron, delving into a deep discussion. Lunch ended up being filled with a tension in the air, none of the demigods not knowing what to say or do. Many kids were clearly suspicious of the newcomers. Their robes made them stand out more than their age. It wasn't every day they saw people dressed in an unusual fashion. 

When lunch ended, Nova attempted to leave undetected when Chiron placed a hand on her shoulder. "Nova, would you please come with us to the Big House?" 

Knowing that she couldn’t say no, Nova obliged. The stares of everyone around her as she followed the adults to the Big House was hard to ignore, but she avoided eye contact with everyone as much as possible. The last thing she wanted at the moment was attention. 

As soon as they gathered in the living room, Nova allowed herself to make eye contact with Professor McGonagall – the headmistress at Hogwarts, and Professor Tahamente – the headmaster at Ilvermorny. "Hello, Professors." 

"Hello Miss Sterling," McGonagall gave her a small smile. 

"I hope your summer has been uneventful," Tahamente greeted his student. 

"What brings the two of you to Camp Half-Blood?" 

"A new prophecy arose a month ago, that requires us to bring wizards and demigods together," Professor Tahamente explained. "Professor McGonagall tells me that you were a good friend to many of the students that will be transferring to Ilvermorny in September. I believe it is in everyone's best interest that you help bring everyone together, in order for it to succeed." 

"We wish to handle this situation better than it was handled last summer," Chiron explained, Nova knowing that he was referring to Percy Jackson's disappearance due to Hera. "No one will go missing, and we will be putting everyone in a few shared classes." 

"Could I see the prophecy you’re referring to?" On the inside, Nova was nervous but she didn’t let it show. She may have been well respected at Hogwarts and Ilvermorny, but the demigod camps barely knew her. She preferred to keep a low profile. Chiron handed her the same sheet of paper he had given McGonagall a month before, and they fell silent as she read the words three times over. "This seems incomplete." 

"We believe that it is," McGonagall explained. The headmistress explained what they believed to be true, and why they believed the program would be the best option for everyone involved. She refused to fall into Dumbledore's tactic of manipulation and wanted Nova to go into everything with open eyes. "As we figure out more information on this prophecy, we will relay this information back to you. All we ask is that you do the same with us." 

"Minerva, is that really wise?" Chiron tried to mask his worry. 

"It is much safer for the child to know rather than be kept in the dark," she said, stubbornly. "I will not go to such lengths as give vague information and tell a student to face any sort of danger without proper preparation. A wild goose chase is the exact opposite of what we need." 

"We are just looking out for our students, Chiron," Professor Tahamente assured the centaur. "Nova, we need to ask you to do one thing for us." 

"Of course, what is it?" 

"Do not relay this information to anyone," he said. "They cannot know until the right time." 

"I understand, Professor," Nova nodded, not at all eager to tell anyone about this in the first place. The headmaster reached into a pocket in his robes, and brought out a letter, handing it to Nova. 

"The rest of the owls will be arriving soon to bring everyone their letters," Professor explained. "But I thought it would be best to deliver yours in person." 

The witch nodded and took the envelope from the elder. They dismissed Nova, and she made a beeline for her cabin. Campers would stop their activity to stare at her, only making the demigod move faster. Once she entered her area of the cabin, Nova ripped open the envelope and took out the letter. Before she began to read, she found a pin in the shape of a crest, bearing the words "Head Girl" on it. Without hesitation, she hid the pin in the trunk under her bed and unfolded the letter. 

_ Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry _

_ Headmaster: Don Tahamente  _

_ (International Confederation of Wizards) _

_ Dear Miss Nova Sterling,  _

_ We are pleased to have you back for your final year at Ilvermorny. Expect this year to be the busiest yet, with the Horrifically Advanced Required Examinations (H.A.R.E.s) you are expected to take at the end of the year. _

_ As well, we would like to congratulate you on your new title as Head Girl. Please understand that this is a big responsibility, and we will not take it lightly if you do anything that could jeopardize this role.  _

_ When you arrive at Heawood Station, please make your way to our new Gamekeeper, Ember Willows, and lead the transfer students to the castle for the sorting ceremony. The Head Boy will be joining you.  _

_ You will find a list of everything you will need for the coming year enclosed in the envelope as well. See you on September 1.  _

_ Yours Sincerely,  _

_ Trinity Yellowbird  _

_ Deputy Headmistress _

Nova looked at the list for what she needed, and then put the letter in the trunk with her new badge, and laid down on her bed. The school year was bound to be interesting, and she was worried about how her two separate worlds would react once they collide. 


	3. New Haven Plaza

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nova goes to New Haven Plaza with the demigods and meets up with a friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a filler chapter at it's finest and I hate it, but next chapter will be better I promise

Instead of flying into camp, the owls dropped the letters from the edge of the border. Nova watched in amusement as the sky began to rain envelopes, leaving her fellow campers dumbfounded as they watched the scene unfold. Few were jumping to grab a letter, reminding the witch of a story her friend Harry Potter had told her. 

Apparently, his aunt and uncle were displeased about him being a wizard, so they did everything they could to stop them from arriving. One day, over one hundred letters entered the house and flew everywhere. It was an amusing image, and she could only imagine what it would’ve looked like in person. Apparently, his Uncle Vernon's face turned a shade of purple only Dionysus would be proud of. 

A week after the letters arrived, they were greeted by a group of Roman demigods led by Praetor Frank Zhang. They had received the same letters and wanted to discuss it with the counsellors at Camp Half-Blood. Nova was heavily involved in that meeting, answering questions and explaining what the school was like. Clarisse and Annabeth seemed to be the most apprehensive about joining the school, but Nova explained it was for the best. It had to be for a reason, and they had to go to find out. 

Now, she was leading a huge group of demigods in a sea of orange and purple shirts through the theatre district of New York. The American Wizard Shopping District - New Haven Plaza - was hidden within an entrance behind the Lyric Theatre. However, there was a new one for the demigods, and Nova couldn’t resist joining them to check it out. 

It was easy to navigate. The entrance was behind the Lucille Lortel Theatre, and they had arrived during a matinee. Luckily, there wouldn't be any fans or cast members there to question why a group of school kids were touring the area. Nova was relieved that she didn't have to lie her way through it this time. 

The doorway to the plaza looked like a boring stage door at first, but when the mist dissipated it revealed an intricate oak door. A bouncer, and a familiar face, stood next to it. "Hey, Diego." 

"Hey, Nova," the bouncer smiled. "How has your summer been?" 

"Weird and busy," she answered, chuckling. "Although, that's not unusual. How do we get to the Plaza through here?" 

"Greek demigods just need their necklaces visible, and Roman demigods need to show their tattoos-" 

"Bro!" Percy Jackson and Jason Grace, who had both, chorused. Nova looked back to see them grinning at each other, and stifled a laugh. 

"Sorry about those two," she said. "Please, continue." 

"It's quite alright," Diego laughed. "Obviously, the mortals can't see the door, but it opens into a room in The Greedy Pixie. Lyria is expecting you all." 

"Did everyone get that?" Nova shouted, turning to the group behind her. After hearing a chorus of yeses and no's, she asked the people that had heard to pass it onto everyone else. The Hecate kids lead the group in, and they immediately entered a room with an oak interior. There were various pieces of art on the wall, all from different cultures and artists but with the same colour scheme. Lyria Michaels was waiting at the inner entrance to the private room. 

"So this is what it looks like."

"I was told to expect a big group so I used an undetectable extension charm in this area. Can't risk having a single student outside the theatre." Lyria smiled, giving Nova a hug. They chatted as everyone filed in, the demigods almost having to pack in like sardines. "Oh dear, I underestimated." 

"Some of us will be out of your hair soon enough," Nova promised. Chiron was the last to enter and greeted the shopkeeper before turning to his kids. 

"We will all meet back here in three hours," he told them. "Please focus on getting your school supplies before exploring, but after that please have fun with respect to the wizard community." 

Once Chiron dismissed his kids, the room went into chaos. Few demigods stayed behind to eat, and most were rushing to explore. Nova separated from her siblings after a quick trip to the bank and decided to stop at the dressmaker first. The item on the list was dress robes, which worried Nova a little. The last time dress robes were a requirement, a friend of hers died at the hands of Voldemort. 

Daria, the owner, rushed Nova further back once she stepped foot in the shop. Nova laughed, expecting the seamstress to be excited. As much fun as she had helping first years get the uniform, she loved getting people fitted into dresses and suits. "So what kind of dress robe will it be for you, my dear?" 

"A dress," Nova smiled. "Navy, if possible." 

Immediately, the seamstress pulled out on off the shoulder ball gown with silver detailing around the waist. The dress was floor-length, and the skirt was pleated. Nova happily took it and went into an available dressing room to try it on. It fit perfectly, Daria having put a charm that would resize itself depending on who wore it, and she stepped out to show the seamstress. "That's the one!" 

Nova barely argued but stood in front of the mirror a bit longer to admire herself. "Nova?" 

"What?" She turned around and met with one of her best friends, Cree Fletcher. "Oh hey, Cree!" 

"I didn’t think you'd be here today!" He cheered, running over to hug her. "You look stunning, by the way. Dress robe for this year?" 

"Yes," she answered. "Which reminds me, I should change out of this so I can pay for it." 

Nova slipped back into the change room and got back into her camp clothes. Cree was standing where she was previously, looking at himself in a burgundy suit. "That looks great!" 

Daria busied herself with packing up Nova's dress, and Nova fished for the dragots she owed. "It's either this or the basic black and white." 

"Get the burgundy," Nova told him. "Stand out from the heterosexuals." 

Cree laughed and agreed before changing back into his civilian clothing. "You came with your camp, hey?" 

"Yeah, I did," she nodded. "Thanks, Daria!" 

"Of course, dear!" The seamstress approached her next customers, and Nova and Cree headed to the bookstore. 

Cosmic Arcana had thousands of books to look through and was as big as the library at Hogwarts. To help the students find the books they need, the shopkeeper organized the required texts by year in different sections. Cree and Nova found what they needed in no time, but stayed back a bit to help first-years find the correct section. 

After Nova had finished explaining the layout to another group of eleven-year-old's, she bumped into someone as she stood up. "I'm so sorry." 

"Don't worry about it." Nova turned around and was met with Percy Jackson. "Oh, hey Nova." 

"Hey, Percy," she smiled. They weren't close, but Percy was one of the few demigods that were genuinely kind to her and her siblings. "Enjoying the plaza, I hope." 

"It's pretty cool, actually," he admitted. "Although is it really a good idea to have us go to the same school as wizards? I've heard that they don't exactly get along with demigods." 

"Chiron and the Headmaster think it's for the best," Nova said, plainly. "Although the reason why is beyond me. Anyway, I should get going. Still have more shopping to do. Sorry for bumping into you, again." 

"No harm done. See you later." Percy turned around and made his way to his best friend, Annabeth. 

"Who was that?" Cree stared at the demigod, who seemed semi-interested in the books Annabeth gushed over. 

"His name is Percy," Nova told him. "I don't know him very well, but he's nice." 

"He's nice?" The Metis boy's eyes widened. "Just nice? Nova, you have to be blind to not notice how attractive he is." 

"Dude, lower your voice," Nova glanced at the son of Poseidon, who luckily hadn't seemed to hear anything. "Okay, I'm not going to deny it but everyone at camp has had a crush on him at some point." 

"So you do like him!" 

"I did until I was fifteen!" She corrected, laughing. "I'll tell you more about it later, I have more interesting news for you." 

Nova told her friend about the visit from Professor Tahamente and Professor McGonagall, leaving out the details of the prophecy. He listened intently, asking questions that Nova had to evade. She wanted to tell Cree everything, but the streets were too busy and she couldn't risk it. 

After all, he'd find out soon enough. There was a third part to the prophecy that wasn't spoken yet, and it was only a matter of time until everyone found out.


	4. Sorting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An intermission chapter for who I sorted into which Ilvermorny House.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you want to know the reason behind my decisions in the sortings, please send me an ask on my Tumblr: @theartofimaginaryfriends

First of all, I apologize that this isn’t an actual update. I’m struggling creatively, and my mind is running a mile a minute with four different active projects. Also with the stress of transfer applications because I’m Nervous and want to go back to school.

It’s Mercury Retrograde right now, and it falls into my star sign (Scorpio) so I’m severely affected. What it has been affecting the most is my creativity (amongst other things that are more personal), which sucks because I have so many ideas but they aren’t translating well to paper (document? computer? Idk it’s 2 AM).

Due to this, I don’t know when chapter 3 is going to be published but for the sake of word count and the fact that I don’t want this to turn into another filler, I won’t be listing every character that I’m putting into the fic in the chapter itself during sorting. That is for the sake of not just my sanity, but everyone else’s.

To finally get to the point of this post, I have organized everyone into each house the way that I see it (with a second opinion from a friend and thank you, Meghan). If anyone wants to know my reasoning for sorting specific characters into whatever house, please feel free to send me an ask and I will explain!

Here’s what I’ve come up with:

**Horned Serpent:**

HP: Hermione, Draco, Blaise 

PJO: Annabeth, Piper, Connor, Travis

**Wampus:**

HP: Ginny, Parvati, Seamus, Cree Fletcher (OC)

PJO: Clarisse, Jason, Nico, Lou Ellen

**Pukwudgie:**

HP: Luna, Padma, Neville, Payton Wills (OC)

PJO: Will, Frank, Meg, Rachel

Nova Sterling (Main OC)

**Thunderbird:**

HP: Ron, Harry, Dean, Pansy 

PJO: Percy, Hazel, Leo, Lavinia


	5. Welcome to Ilvermorny

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Welcome Feast causes a rocky start to the year.

The room buzzed with excitement as the students watched the first years get sorted into their houses. Nova stood next to the Head Boy, Lucas Hoffman, and tried to seem interested in the sorting. The nerves she felt were hard to hide, with the threat of a Prophecy being revealed tonight. Rachel Dare had collapsed on the way up to the school with the rest of the transfers, and Nova couldn't help but notice a flicker of a green glow in her eyes. 

She could only hope that nothing would happen while the mortal girl waited with her friends to be sorted into a house like everyone else. The last thing that was needed was to provoke a group of demigods with quick access to their weapons and already felt suspicious of the place. “You okay?" 

"What?" Nova looked up at her friend. "Oh yeah, just tired and hungry." 

"Are you sure that's it?" 

"Lucas, I'm fine," Nova insisted. The Head Boy opened his mouth to speak but ultimately let it go, knowing how stubborn his friend could be. They turned back to watch the sorting, and Nova cheered with the rest of her house whenever someone got sorted into Pukwudgie. Still, she didn't seem to have her heart in the sorting like she did every year. 

When the ceremony ended, the student body moved into The Great Hall. Nova relaxed a bit entering the familiar surroundings and smiled. The staff table was at the very end of the hall and faced the door that led into the room. A bear lectern was placed in front of the Headmasters seat, which sat in the middle of the long table. 

Unlike Hogwarts, Ilvermorny had over one hundred circular tables for the students, and students from every house were free to sit together. The American Wizarding school prided itself on their inclusivity, part of that being the inter-house relationships. 

The Hall was decorated with Indigenous artwork, representing the founders of the school. Paintings on the walls told the story of Ilvermorny, and how it was founded. The ceiling was reflective of the night sky. Thousands of candles were floating in mid-air, lighting up the room. Ilvermorny had brought some of Hogwarts' famous features to The Great Hall as a way to help the European students feel more at home. 

Ghosts floated around and interacted with the students, startling the demigods that were already distracted by the interior. When the witch took a seat next to Cree, she couldn't help but notice a particularly familiar face within the ghosts. Peeves the Poltergeist had decided to tag along, likely eager to terrorize a new group of students. Harry Potter, who was at the same table, followed her eye line and looked even more displeased than she felt. "Blimey, I thought he was joking." 

"I'm sorry, what?" 

"To our new students, welcome," Headmaster Tahamente greeted everyone. "And to our upper years welcome back. We have much to discuss this evening, but for now please enjoy the feast." 

Food appeared at the table, and students immediately began piling their plates. Ron Weasley was one of the first to dig in, stuffing his face with shepherd's pie. Hermione scoffed at her friend's lack of proper etiquette. "Honestly Ronald, do you have any manners?" 

"What? I'm hungry," he said between mouthfuls. Nova laughed as Harry rolled his eyes at Hermione chastising Ron. 

"Um... can I help you?" Harry asked, uncomfortable. Nova followed his eye line to Cree, who was staring at The Chosen One in disbelief. 

"You're Harry Potter," his jaw dropped. "As in _the_ Harry Potter." 

"Cree, we talked about this." 

"Can you _blame_ me?" 

"I'm sorry, Harry," she sighed. "I requested my friend here do the exact opposite of that. Cree is clearly a big fan of yours." 

"It's nice to meet you, Cree." he smiled. Harry hated attention because of his fame, but he was kind nonetheless. That was something Nova liked about her friend and made a mental note to talk to Cree about dialling down the fanboy attitude after tonight. 

All the boy could do was stare open-mouthed, still starstruck. "Potter has a whole fan club here, too?" 

"Malfoy, are you really failing to consider the fact that our friend here is world famous?" Nova sassed. She had only known Draco during her transfer year at Hogwarts during the Triwizard Tournament and was still skeptical of the Slytherin. Despite choosing to go against Voldemort during the war, he was going to have to put in a lot of effort to gain the trust of everyone he had bullied these past few years. 

"I don't need-" 

"Hey," Harry put a hand on Malfoy's shoulder. "You said you wanted our forgiveness. That means not lashing out." 

Draco relaxed at Harry's touch and went back to his food while he tried to hide the blush forming on his face. The meal consisted of Cree overwhelming Harry with questions, and Nova constantly apologizing for her friends' behaviour. It went on until after dessert when the Headmaster approached the lectern once again. A hush fell over the crowd as he began to speak. 

"I hope that was a satisfying meal," he smiled at everyone. "First, a few housekeeping rules. Students must not leave their lodges after ten pm on weekdays, and midnight on weekends. Students under year five are not to leave campus on weekends. The forest is off-limits, as the Party Ponies do not take kindly to unwelcome visitors-" 

"Party Ponies?" Ron whispered. 

"I'll explain later," Nova responded. 

"Finally, if you haven't already," Professor Tahamente continued. "Please come see me, or your Head of House to state your pronouns and preferred name." 

Nova glanced around, watching all the confused expressions from the Hogwarts students. She remembered when she first learned what pronouns meant, and hoped the European wizards complied without issue. "As you all know, we are joined this year by students from Hogwarts, and Demigods from Camp Half-Blood-" 

Whispers filled the halls, many of which speculated why Demigods were at the school. 

"Settle down," Tahamente gently commanded. "Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry has found itself in need of repairs that may take the whole year. Headmistress McGonagall has asked me and President Olivier to host her students while their school is under construction. As for the Demigods, we feel that the divide between us needs come to an end. Chiron and Mr. D have gladly set up a program in hopes of creating a bond certain to help in the future."

"Mr. D can’t even be bothered to remember our names," Nova overheard Percy's comment. She made eye contact with him as she stifled a laugh, and the boy smirked at her and winked. 

"Finally, we have new additions to our staff," the Headmaster turned slightly, gesturing to the staff table. Tahamente began with Chiron and Mr. D, then introduced the professors that had joined the staff for the demigod program, as well as the new Gamekeeper. "Now that introduction is out of the way, we will end the night-" 

The headmaster's speech was interrupted when a girl with fiery red hair stood up abruptly. Rachel's eyes glowed bright green, and a mist the same colour poured out of her mouth as she made her way to the front of the Hall. The wizards looked terrified, and most of the demigods were annoyed. 

" _Demigod and wizard come together,_

_Find the bridge and break the tether._

_The heroes combined,_

_Shall face the unkind._

_In order to preserve their days,_

_They must find the one in which betrays."_

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Percy shouted angrily. 

The son of Poseidon stormed out of The Great Hall, and Annabeth stood up to follow. Nova rushed to the demigoddess and stopped her before she continued on. "Take Percy to the lodges. A Pukwudgie will be able to guide you there if you ask politely." 

"Thank you," Annabeth rushed to catch up with her best friend, and Nova went to help Rachel for the second time that day. 

"Are you alright, dear?" Nurse Hawkins helped Rachel to her feet. 

"Yes, thank you," she responded tiredly. 

"She's in my house, I'll get her to the dorms immediately," Nova put an arm around the mortal to support her. After some protest, the Nurse allowed Nova to take Rachel to the dorms. All she needed was a small amount of Wiggenweld potion. She led Rachel out of the Great Hall, trying to ignore the stares and whispers as she passed. The girls didn't speak until they got to the entrance of the Pukwudgie building, passing Annabeth and Percy as they sat at the campfire the school had set up for the Demigods. 

"Our lodge has a small infirmary, we'll stop there first." Nova led them to the infirmary and helped Rachel onto a bed. The Head Girl went into the cabinets to find Wiggenweld, then poured a small amount into a Dixie Cup, and handed it to the Priestess. "It's just a basic healing potion, it won't harm you." 

Rachel took the cup and hesitated before downing the liquid. She winced at the taste but looked a lot better instantly. Since Python took over the Oracle of Delphi, readjusting to the oracle's magic was taxing on Rachel. Nova couldn't imagine what it was like and felt for the mortal girl. 

When they left the infirmary, Nova brought Rachel over to the group of new students that had just arrived with the sixth year prefects and began the trek up eight flights of stairs to get to her new room. 

The room was easy to find, it is the first door in the corridor on her left. The Head Girl was about to open the door with her new combination knock when she noticed the name plaque under her own. She was sharing her room with Payton Wills, a Gryffindor that she didn’t get along with at Hogwarts.


	6. Low Morale

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nova and Payton reunite after four years, and the daughter of Hecate has a chat with Percy.

Nova sat on her bed struggling to pin the Head Girl Badge onto her cardigan and got increasingly frustrated as it weighed down the fabric. She wanted to get out of the room quickly to avoid being face-to-face with Payton, but the pin had other plans. "Hey, Nova." 

"Wills." Nova went back to struggling, hoping the Gryffindor wouldn't say another word to her. 

"Look, about fourth-year-" just her luck, she wanted to talk. 

"I don't want to hear it." 

"We're rooming together for the year," Payton rolled her eyes. "I'm just trying to make it easier for both of us." 

"Alright, fine." The witch sighed and looked up. 

"I was awful to you when you transferred to Hogwarts," she admitted. "And I know I don't deserve your forgiveness. Just please, give me a chance like you're doing with Draco." 

"Why should I?" Nova kept a neutral expression. 

"Voldemort was wrong," Payton continued. "I figured that out in Year Six, but I couldn't change sides no matter how much I wanted to. I was weak, and fell into a dark path because I didn't know where else to go." 

"You get one shot to prove yourself. _One_." Nova gave in. Payton seemed truly remorseful of what she had done in the past – both to Nova and to her friends – and she had a point. If Nova was giving Malfoy a second chance, Payton deserved one too. "But if you try anything on myself or any of my friends, I will get you kicked out." 

"I'll take it," Payton shrugged. Nova stood up, having given up on the badge, and searched through her trunk for a jacket. "What are you looking for?" 

"The Head Girl badge isn't sitting right on my cardigan," Nova sighed. "I have a jacket that might support it better, but I don't know where it- Connor and Travis." 

"What? Who?" 

"Just a couple of friends from camp," Nova shook her head. "I need to find them to find my jacket, but I'll see you at the campfire. And if not the fire, then back in the room." 

"Hold on," Payton grabbed the badge from Nova's bed and stopped the girl at the door. Nova tensed as Payton pinned it to her cardigan, and connected it to her shirt. She was stunned at the bold move the Hogwarts student made, not sure if she should punch her or back away. 

"Thank you, but I really have to go." She left the building in a hurry, needing to get away from Payton before a panic attack ensued. She was overstepping a boundary already, and it hadn't even been a day, let alone an hour. Nova wasn't even sure why she agreed to give Payton a chance so quickly. 

Before joining Lucas at the far end of the campfire, Nova sat down on one of the logs to take a breather. To distract herself, she looked around the area, noting the new additions to the residence. The lodges each donned an emblem of each house above the doors, distinguishing each building. This area was adjacent to the castle, and a bridge connected both areas. In front of the lodges, and a few feet from surrounding picnic tables, sat a massive firepit. It resembled the one at Camp Half-Blood, but it was designed to fit over six-hundred students as well as the staff. 

Percy was sitting next to her, still in his uniform. He seemed more upset than before, and Nova spoke up in hopes to calm him down. "You know, most students are eager to get out of the uniform right after dinner." 

"Most students haven't had to deal with watching their friends die due to a prophecy, going missing for months, and waking up with amnesia only to be forced into yet another prophecy," Percy complained. "I'm sick of doing the God's dirty work." 

"That's why you stormed out." 

"Wouldn't you?" He asked. "Especially since it seems like Chiron and the Headmaster dude knew it was coming." 

"I suppose," she replied. "And whether or not they knew, it's for the best that both communities become friends rather than enemies." 

"Annabeth disagrees," Percy sighed. "She doesn't think this is a good idea. I tried to remind her that she had the same mindset with the Romans, but that was hopeless." 

"Are you two doing okay?" Nova asked. 

"Everything's been weird since the breakup," he shrugged. "We're still friends, but it's been hard to adjust back to it. At least it is for Annabeth. Apparently she had a crush on me for a long time before we started dating." 

"Percy, everyone knew about her crush except you," Nova snickered. "Gods, it was kind of painful to watch." 

"Yeah, I've heard that quite a bit," he chuckled darkly. Percy shifted so that he fully faced Nova. "Look, I'm sorry. After I came back from that quest, I distanced myself from most of the Hermes cabin. After what happened with Luke..." 

"That hit us hard," she shook her head. "Even his death... Luke wasn't a bad guy, just misguided. The two of you became really close, so I don't see a reason for you to apologize." 

"No, I know," Percy said. "But you and I were close, too. Closer than I ever was with Annabeth. I just... I regret pushing you away." 

"We'll talk about it later," Nova sighed. She hadn't thought about it in years. Percy would cut their conversations short and made any and every excuse to stay away from her. No one noticed, with Nova keeping to herself most of the time. Eventually, Percy had mostly forgotten about her. The witch didn’t care about that now, but back then it was painful. "It's been a long day, and we've got an hour before the campfire if you want to change out of the uniform." 

"Nova- yeah, you're right," Percy stood up, failing to mask his disappointment. "I'll see you later, then." 

He began walking away, until Nova stopped him.

"Percy?" The son of Poseidon stopped in his tracks and turned to look at his friend. "I'm here if you need to talk." 

"Thanks," he smiled. "Same on my end, alright?" 

"Yeah," Nova smiled back. Percy made his way towards the Thunderbird cabin, and Nova circled around the pit to Lucas. They had to talk to the prefects about their duties for the rest of the year. The Head Girl explained what to do if any demigods got into fights, and wouldn't listen if asked to stop. She was instructing them on how to deal with Clarisse La Rue specifically when Chiron announced that the final activity of the evening would begin in fifteen minutes. 

Most of the demigods showed up, and a small group of the wizards did. The numbers made the divide between everyone even more obvious. The wizards collected in a small semicircle, the demigods taking up the rest of the area. Some of the staff tried to encourage them to disperse and enjoy it together, but Headmaster Tahamente stopped them. It was only the first night, this was expected. 

The campfire began with the Ilvermorny school anthem, the Headmaster using magic to write the words in the sky for everyone to follow along. After that, they alternated to sing the songs Camp Half-Blood was familiar with, as well as campfire songs that the wizards were familiar with. The flames at the campfire flickered between gold and purple, the tension in the air showing the low morale within the group. Most of the demigods didn’t even have their hearts in the sing-along, no matter how much the Apollo Cabin tried. 

At the end, the Headmaster and Chiron bid the students a good night, and everyone went off to bed. The atmosphere grew even more awkward than before, and no one seemed in the mood to hang out until curfew. The common room was completely empty, everyone had gone to their rooms. Nova hoped she wouldn't be woken up to resolve any issues on the first night, as she shut the curtains on her four-poster. The last thing she needed was more drama.


	7. Halloween Special

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nova and the Stoll's show Fred and George Halloweentown. After that, they try to make Peeves sweat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A friend of mine and I were discussing if Peeves could sweat after watching Halloweentown, and thus this fic was born! It's separate from the main story, and introduces parts of this fic that I haven't published yet. The story breaks will stop after this one for a bit. Happy Halloween!

The first weekly movie night in October called for Halloweentown, one of Nova's favourite Halloween movies. They were joined by Fred and George Weasley, who had just opened Weasley's Wizard Wheezes in Baypoint Village. Connor and Travis were ecstatic to meet their idols, and the Hogwarts transfers were especially concerned. The four boys combined meant chaos, and it was chaos no one would ever be prepared for. 

Nova kept her eyes glued to the massive screen, not wanting to know if the four of them were causing trouble. After all, the Stoll's pulled a prank on the entire student body last week. She hoped her decision to let the twins join was a good one, but if they convinced Connor and Travis to wreak havoc there was nothing she could do. 

The only time her attention was pulled away from the movie was when Marnie, Dylan, and Sophie went to the Halloweentown Health Spa to collect ghost sweat. Some of the school ghosts were exasperated when this scene played, and others found it amusing. Peeves, in particular, seemed uncomfortable and a little concerned. He glanced over at the Weasley Twins in alarm and disappeared out of the room. 

When the Head Girl turned to look at the boys she'd been worried about all evening, she noticed the four of them conversing. Travis made eye contact with Nova and waved her over. "What the hell are the four of you planning?" 

"Do you think it would be possible to make Peeves sweat?" Connor whispered. "He left the room in quite a hurry, after all."   


"He could've left the room because he knows you will try this on him," Nova rolled her eyes. 

"So you won't stop us?" Fred asked. 

"Who are you and what have you done to our dear friend, Nova?" George added. 

"I'm not going to stop you because I know I can't!" She said. "Also I'm curious myself. I want in." 

"Great, we just need a sauna for ghosts and poltergeists," Travis became scheming. 

"I'll ask Leo." 

*** 

Leo managed to build the machine by Sunday and brought it up to a tower for the experiment to happen. Now, Nova sat waiting with the pranksters holding a vial. 

"I won't mess with any of you again." Peeves hopelessly pleaded, unable to escape from the contraption. 

"Doubt it," Nova laughed. "I bet you're hiding dung bombs in that sauna." The poltergeist sneered at her and continued struggling. In no time, steam rose from the contraption, and Peeves slowly began to relax. 

"Woah, it's actually working," Travis looked at it in wonder. "Dude, let's get a closer look." 

The brother leaned into Peeves' face but jumped back when Peeves began to yell again. "Hold on, I think we did something." 

Fred and George joined them in looking up close, grinning ear-to-ear. Nova joins them after fighting her curiosity and watches as sweat began to form. "Oh my god, it's working." 

She opened the vial and waited until it was filled before sealing it. After another fifteen minutes of watching Peeves and ignoring as he swore at them, Nova decided to let him out. When the machine was turned off, and they opened it, Peeves got out of the room faster than you could say 'quidditch.' 

"What do you need that for?" Connor asked Nova, pointing to the vial.    


"I want to see if I can use it as a potion ingredient." She smirked. 

"Wicked," Fred and George said, in unison. 

"Alright," Nova grabbed her bookbag. "I was not involved, saw nothing, and did not approve this in the slightest." 

"You got it, boss." 


	8. Catalyst

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A fight breaks out during the first class of the year.

"What do you think it means?" Harry asked at breakfast the next day. "The prophecy. I mean, the bridge? What tether? The one I had to deal with wasn't this hard to decipher." 

"Our prophecies never mean what you think," Nova said. "Whatever the bridge is, it couldn't mean a literal bridge. Maybe it's a person. Someone that acts as a bridge to connect both sides." 

"So, you?" Percy raised an eyebrow. 

"Or, it could mean a God," she gave him a look. "Like Janus."

"I never want to deal with him again." The son of Poseidon complained. 

"You never wanted to deal with a prophecy again. Anything's possible." Annabeth said. Percy glared at her and scowled. Things hadn't been patched up between them since the previous night. "I wonder which of us will be the heroes. I hate to say it, but Percy and Harry are guaranteed to be involved." 

"It could be anyone," Hermione snapped. "Harry couldn't possibly be involved in another prophecy. Not so soon." Annabeth opened her mouth to respond until Nova held up a hand. 

"I'm going to stop both of you now before this gets out of hand." The rule Ilvermorny had about students sitting with others of different years and houses expanded to the wizards and demigods. So far Nova was overwhelmed by all the fighting happening around her and wanted to keep that at bay at her table at the very least. Especially while she was still waking up. "We should just drop talk about the prophecy for the time being. It's not helping anyone, and parts won't be figured out or revealed until the right time." 

The table agreed and fell silent. Around them, were groups of students having the same conversation Nova just cut-off, or arguing with each other. It seemed that the various rooming situations either worked out really well or went very wrong. Rachel and Luna, in particular, had gotten along right away. "What's a wrackspurt?" 

Hermione scoffed, and Ron groaned at Rachel's question. Harry and Ginny, on the other hand, tried to suppress giggles. Luna's eyes lit up as she explained what they were to the redhead and barely looked up when Professor Lieberman, the Pukwudgie Head of House, handed over their schedules. 

When the Professor got around to Nova, she handed her a small envelope as well. "The Headmaster asked me to give this to you." 

"Thanks, Professor." 

After scanning the schedule, she headed to combat and duelling in the training grounds. The class had a mixture of students from all four houses, a few of which were the transfer students. She tried to mask her annoyance when she noticed Clarisse and Draco were in the class together. Something was bound to go wrong. 

The students made their way to the two professors teaching the class and listened to the introduction. "Hello, class. For those that don't know, I am Professor Sullivan, the flying and duelling instructor. I will be sharing a class with Professor Beaumont as it is vital we teach you, students, every form of fighting." 

"But demigods can't use magic," An Ilvermorny student called out. 

"And wizards don't have any weapons!" A demigod added. 

"Please leave questions and comments at the end of the lecture," Professor Beaumont commanded. The class quieted down, and the ones that were speaking out looked sheepish. "You both make good points. Although some Demigods can use magic, it is just different from the wizards." 

"Our goal in this class is to teach you how to fight against an opponent you would have never expected." Sullivan continued. "However, for today, we will have the wizards with me, and the demigods with Professor Beaumont. Is that clear?" 

"Yes, Professor," the class chorused. 

"Any questions?" 

Nova raised her hand, trying not to feel stupid. "For those of us that fit into both categories – because I know I'm not the only one – where do we go?" 

"Fan of flying?" Sullivan asked. 

"You know I'm not." Nova sighed. 

"Go with the demigods." The Professor smirked. "If you're not afraid of flying, you'll be with me today. If you are, join Nova." 

The groups split off, and Percy made his way next to Nova. "Flying?" 

"Yes, we can fly on broomsticks," Nova braced herself for the teasing. "No, they aren't the basic straw brooms in media." 

"I'm pretty sure I'm the first person to ask you about that," Percy mused. "And yet, you already sound annoyed." 

"I know you well enough to know that I'm aware I'll never hear the end of it," she rolled her eyes. 

"You two!" Professor Beaumont interrupted their banter. "Have something to share with the rest of the class?" 

"No," they said, sheepishly. 

"Great, then I'm going to assume you were listening to instructions," Cassia said. "I don't care who you partner with, just try not to kill each other." 

"Frank, what were the instructions?" Percy leaned over to his friend. 

"Get into groups of two, and practice combat," he told them. "We have an uneven number, though." 

"We could be a group of three?" Nova suggested. "Take turns fighting each other. Third person watches and dictates who wins each round." 

"Sure, why not," Percy shrugged, grabbing his pen from his back pocket. "You and me first, Nova? I miss training with you." 

"You’re on, Jackson," she removed a bronze hair clip and flipped it to reveal Harpe. Percy got into position facing her, and uncapped Riptide. Nova was a bit nervous facing off against Percy. He was the only one able to match Luke in a fight when they were twelve, and she remembered it well. He was skilled, and Nova planned to give him a real challenge. 

The demigod made the first move, almost losing his balance when Nova dodged him. She moved forward, forcing Percy to back up from where he stood. She managed to stay in control of the fight until Percy deflected her blade, and forced it out of her hands. Grabbing the hilt, Percy shrugged and tossed it back to her. Nova easily caught it, and they continued on. 

They parried for quite a bit, neither of them willing to give up. Weaving through the other teams, they swiftly moved across the grounds and stayed evenly matched with one another. Without realizing it Nova and Percy had moved closer to the castle walls. The roles of offence and defence were switching between them constantly. It was as though they were silently communicating as they continued to train. 

Percy was offence when he realized they were closer to the castle and saw it as an opportunity to overtake Nova. He maneuvered their fight so that her back was against the wall, and rested his blade against her throat. His left arm braced against the wall right above her head. "You know if you don't apply pressure, I could easily get out of this hold." 

"If I drew blood, I'd get in trouble," he replied. "And seeing as you have an advantage, why not use it?" 

"Catching my breath, I suppose." Nova lied, blushing. 

"We could stop the fight here." 

"What would be the fun in that?" 

"Touche-" 

"BE CAREFUL WHERE YOU THROW THAT THING!" Nova's attention moved from Percy to the students up on brooms. Draco was descending from his position and angrily marched up to Clarisse who had gone to collect her spear. 

"Better go deal with this," Nova groaned. 

"Clarisse may not listen to you, I should help." Percy insisted, moving away from the wall to let her go. 

"She won’t listen to anyone but Will," Nova shrugged. "Go train with Frank, I'll be fine." 

The Head Girl made her way to the two, as they began a shouting match. "I should be allowed to throw my spear wherever the hell I want, Pretty Boy." 

"And I should be able to have a friendly competition with my classmates without worrying about being killed!" He argued back. 

"Dude, a bludger has the potential to kill you," Nova intervened. "I get your point, but think realistically. Wizard sports are about as safe as weapons." 

"No one asked you!" Clarisse and Draco chorused. 

"Yeah, I don’t care," she crossed her arms. "Here's what's going to happen. Clarisse, you're going to throw your spear in any direction away from the wizards. Malfoy, your father will not hear about it, so shut up and stop being dramatic." 

Both parties stared at her completely speechless, Clarisse reeling in anger. Draco just looked shocked, not having said that phrase since his fifth year at Hogwarts. Harry tried to suppress his laughter as the crowd watched, but failed. "Seriously, Potter?" 

All the Chosen One could do was nod, too busy laughing to say anything. Everyone stood around awkwardly, not sure what was so funny. "Thank you, Nova, but we'll take it from here." 

Nova stepped back, and let the professors talk to the two of them and sort something out. "Since it's the first day, I won’t give either if you detention. However, I will deduct ten points each from Horned Serpent and Wampus." 

"Professor!" Draco whined. 

"Five more points!" Sullivan snapped. "Now get back to your activities and no more arguing for the rest of the period." 


	9. The Northern Tower

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a meeting with the Headmaster, Nova reflects on the day's events.

Fights broke out left and right throughout the day and while Nova expected it, she was tired by the end of charms class. The arguments weren't just demigods versus wizards, Ilvermorny students argued with the Hogwarts transfers. The only fight the Head Girl didn’t bother to settle was one Pansy Parkinson got into with an Ilvermorny girl. 

She failed to mask a yawn during her meeting with the Headmaster. He seemed concerned but didn’t address the matter knowing very well why she was exhausted. After all, it was a part of her job. 

"Do you know why I made you the Head Girl?" Professor Tahamente asked. 

"I would love to say it's because I've been a star student, but we both know that isn't true." Nova joked. "I'm going to go with I'm a vital part of this prophecy." 

"We believe that to be the case." He nodded. "You may be the bridge that the final verse speaks of, but there are more significant matters to discuss at the moment. You know the Hogwarts students well. Is there anyone you can think of that may be the Death Eater?" 

"The only person that immediately comes to mind is Pansy Parkinson," Nova explained. "She was in Slytherin. Her parents were Death Eaters, and from what I know she still believes in Voldemort's cause." 

"Professor McGonagall had the same sentiment about this student," The Headmaster nodded. 

"I'll keep an eye on her." She promised. "I don’t really see anyone else having the motivation. The rest of the students that used to follow him are trying to earn our forgiveness. Pansy doesn’t seem to have changed, thinks she needs to or wants to for that matter." 

"Yes, that seems to be the case," he said. A knock sounded on the other side of the door, interrupting the meeting. "Please, come in." 

"Sorry I'm late, Professor," Lucas said, sheepishly, as soon as he saw Nova. 

"Nonsense, Lucas," Tahamente waved a hand dismissively. "You're right on time! Nova just got here early. Come sit, we have much to discuss." 

As soon as Lucas took a seat, Professor Tahamente continued. "I have been hearing reports of fighting in classes and, like the two of you, I have been witnessing it during meals. Something needs to be done about this, but I'm short on ideas." 

"What about a weekly movie night?" Nova blurted. 

"But no-Maj technology-"   


"Actually, it does work around magic," Nova stated. "This became a widespread belief so that students don’t bring anything potentially distracting in class. Same thing with Chiron telling us that cellphones attract monsters. He just said that so we'd pay attention in his lectures."   


"You tested that, didn’t you?" Lucas shot an accusatory look at his partner.    


"You're surprised?" Nova laughed. "Cree and I have been having movie nights together since fifth year." 

"If you can set it up, I don't see an issue," the Headmaster chuckled. "Where could we host that?" 

"The Great Hall, during dinner?" She suggested. "Friday nights. I'm thinking pizza, we ditch the tables and everyone sits on the floor. Blankets, pillows, and pyjamas are welcomed but not required." 

"That's what we'll do, then!" Professor Tahamente looked overjoyed. "I will let you put up a posting on the houses bulletin boards, and that's exactly what we'll do!" 

"Are you sure this is going to work?" Lucas was still apprehensive. 

"Yes, and it will be fun," Nova insisted. "Will that be all, Professor?" 

"Ah, yes of course," he nodded. "You two may go." 

"Thanks, Professor." Lucas and Nova chorused and left his office together. 

They walked in silence until they reached the northern end of the school. "I'm going to head to the library, but let me know what you need me to do for planning." 

"Will do!" Nova smiled at him. "See you later, Lucas."   


She headed towards the top of the Northern Tower and thought about the events of the day. The excitement she felt at the idea of weekly movie nights was fading fast, as the exhaustion hit her. The one thing she hated the most was seeing her friends fight, and her two worlds colliding didn’t help. What made it worse was the memories of Cedric resurfacing. 

Seeing her friends from Hogwarts back in a school setting was the last thing she expected after everything that had happened these past few years. Granted, she never even expected to be a transfer student to Hogwarts in her fourth year. 

Being a skilled healer, Nova was entered into a transfer program to learn under Madame Pomfrey. Because of this, she became friends with the champions, especially Harry and Cedric. As soon as she saw Cedric's body lying on the ground and Harry refusing to leave his dead friend's side, Nova was devastated. 

The whole situation was harder on her than she anticipated. Not only because of Payton's unexpected arrival but because seeing Harry against reminded her of that moment. He reminded her of the few weeks she was able to spend grieving before fighting a war with the demigods. Of course, it wasn't his fault. Nova just felt suffocated with everything that happened in the past twenty-four hours. 

As soon as she reached the top, the witch settled on the quiet balcony. What she needed at the moment was time to think, and this was the only area that she would get solitude for longer than ten minutes. The anger and the fighting she dealt with for nine straight hours had been too much. If she didn’t take time to reset, Nova would lose her composure. 

She sat in the middle of the circular balcony and closed her eyes. Barely bothered by the strong winds, Nova listened to the sound as it rushed past her ears. No one came to the Northern Tower, because it was the coldest part of the school. Nova loved it because of that. She got the space to herself for as long as she wanted, but if someone needed her Cree was always the one to find her here. The one person she never minded seeing. 

"Here's something I don't understand about Ilvermorny." A voice interrupted her peace. "Why have the students buy uniforms if we're only required to wear them on the first night?" 

"We'll probably be required to wear them again," Nova shifted around to find Payton leaning against the doorframe. "It's for school events that they consider to be 'formal' like the sorting, or if someone from MACUSA came to visit."    


"Wow, a real answer." She said, jokingly. "No sarcastic comment? Why aren't you telling me to stay away from you?" 

"I'm too tired to argue." The Head Girl sighed and turned back around to look at the scenery. "Besides, I said I'd give you a chance. I just can't give you a full chance unless you're on Harry, Ron, and Hermione's good side." 

"There's something else on your mind." 

"I don't want to talk about it."   


"I promise not to tell anyone." 

"Rumours spread like wildfire at this school, but even if I wanted to tell you I'm not in the mood." Nova stood up, her peace already broken. "Could you just leave me alone? This is my thinking spot, and you kind of interrupted." 

Without another word, Nova walked past Payton and made her way to the dorms. Payton watched her roommate with a regretful look. It was going to take a lot more than she predicted to earn Nova's forgiveness, let alone getting her to break down her walls.


	10. Movie Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Weekly movie night at Ilvermorny is kicked off with a classic: Mean Girls

By Friday evening, the fighting had subsided enough that Nova wasn't meditating every five minutes, and she didn't feel as tired by the end of History of Magic. For once, she didn't feel the need to nap while the Professor droned on about the Salem Witch Trials. Besides, the amusement she got watching her Ilvermorny peers' jaws drop as Hermione raised her hand after every question was enough entertainment to keep the class interesting. She wasn't surprised to see her friend had done research on North American history. 

The only thing on her mind at the moment was the movie night. Instead of the usual downtime spent in the Pukwudgie common room, she was in The Great Hall organizing the space and setting up the seating areas. "Are you sure this is going to work?" 

"Lucas, for the millionth time this week, yes," Nova answered her friend, exasperated. 

"If we can do this on a laptop, we can easily utilize the projector," Cree added, looking up from the muggle technology. "And no I'm still not going to tell you how we managed to get this here." 

Lucas rolled his eyes and proceeded to help with the set up by moving the tables to the sides of the room. The three students fell silent as they did their tasks, and listened to the music playing on Cree's laptop through the aux cord. "This is looking great!" 

"Thanks, Professor!" Nova smiled at the Headmaster as he admired their handy work. 

"Have you picked out the movie, yet?" 

"Mean Girls," Cree held up the DVD. "It's a classic." 

"Ah, yes," Tahamente chuckled and made his way to the podium. "I hear students reference that film often." 

Soon after the set-up was fully finished, the student body began to pile in. Percy, Harry, Ron, and Hermione joined Nova in the section she claimed. "Should we be concerned about monsters?" 

"Annabeth didn't tell you?" Nova questioned. She explained how technology actually worked within both the wizard and demigod worlds. Her friends all looked at her like she was insane, especially Hermione who was insistent on arguing. 

"But in _Hogwarts: A History_ , it's stated that it goes haywire around magic!" She went off on a tangent about the experiments that wizards have done to test the theory. 

"How often does this happen?" Percy leaned over and whispered to Harry and Ron. 

"All the time," Ron answered. "It's hard to get her to stop." 

"Almost impossible, really," Harry added. 

Hermione ignored her friends and continued on the rant as students continued finding spots with their friends. Once everyone was settled, the Headmaster addressed the school. "As you may have seen on the bulletin boards in your common rooms, tonight will be a bit different than usual." 

" _A bit_?" Nova heard from a student nearby. 

"To help us all get used to each other's company, our Head Boy and Girl organized a no-Maj movie night," he explained. "In a moment, pizza and snacks will appear on the tables and everyone will be free to grab their dinner." 

The student began to whisper amongst themselves, most sounding excited. Nova glanced over at Draco, who had a bewildered look on his face. "What the hell is a movie?" 

"It's like the magical portraits, except there's a plot," Nova explained. 

"What?" 

"Draco, don't worry about it," Harry said, quickly. "You'll find out soon enough." 

"Until then, I have an announcement to make." Nova's attention was brought away from Harry and Draco, and back to the Headmaster as he continued his speech. "Professor McGonagall, Professor Chiron, and I have decided to host a championship." 

"If this is anything like-" Harry whispered to himself. 

"It will be modelled after the legendary Triwizard Tournament," Tahamente hushed the crowd again as the students continued talking amongst each other. Harry and Nova shared looks of disdain. "We have decided to name it The Chimera Games. The rules are simple: twenty teams of two, and it must consist of one wizard and one demigod. There will be no age restriction for the competitors." 

"Is that safe?" Hermione seemed worried. 

"No, but neither is the life of a demigod," Annabeth said. "A tournament is nothing to us." 

"To enter, you will write your name onto a slip of paper, and drop it into the Fountain of Fate." The murmurs started up again, much to the headmaster's dismay. "When it is time for the choosing ceremony, the fountain will reveal two names for each team. The fountain will be in the Entrance Hall tomorrow morning, and everyone will be free to enter until dinner on Sunday. Once the teams have been chosen, I will give out further information. For now, please enjoy tonight's festivities." 

Nova attempted to mask her worry, not wanting to talk about what had happened in fourth year. Harry shifted so he sat next to her. "Did you know about this?" 

"I had no idea," Nova shook her head. "Do you also have a bad feeling about this?" 

"I have a feeling that if I don't willingly enter my own name, someone will do it for me," he scowled. 

"I'm sorry, Harry." 

"You have nothing to apologize for." Harry gave his friend a small smile and squeezed her shoulder. "We'll talk about this tomorrow, now is not a good time." 

"Okay," Nova agreed and smiled back. As worried as she was about the prospect of a tournament, Harry was right. The movie nights were meant to be fun. Dwelling on the news wouldn't benefit anyone. 

"Are you okay, Nova?" Cree asked, taking a seat next to her. 

"Yeah," she nodded, taking a plate he held out to her. "Just zoned out."

"You better not do that during the movie," he joked. "I'm not about to quote it on my own." 

"I would never do that to you," Nova feigned offence. The movie began playing when everyone was settled back in their seats. The two tried to be as quiet as possible as they talked through it, failing at their favourite scenes. 

The Head Girl was mostly entertained by Malfoy watching the movie, and Harry quietly explaining to him that shouting at it would do no good since they don't respond. "That makes no sense." 

"A movie is pre-recorded," Harry couldn't contain his grin, clearly enjoying Draco be clueless for once. "Which means the characters on screen are played by actors, and they can't hear or talk to you." 

"But, _how_?" 

"We might want to save the full explanation for later, boys," Nova teased. 

"Says the one saying almost every line," Harry shot back, good-naturedly. 

"That's different!" Cree and Nova chorused. 

"Do the two of you ever shut up?" One of Lou Ellen's friends, Macie, glared at them. 

"No, they don't," Lou Ellen answered her friend and winked at her sister. 

Over the course of the movie, the group teased Draco as he kept yelling at the screen and expected a response. Cree and Nova noticed other students quoting the movie as well, making the experience more fun. Movie Night seemed to work in bringing everyone together. Even the wizards that had just been introduced to a movie were enjoying themselves. 

"All I'm saying is Cady giving out the crown is unrealistic!" Malfoy ranted as they walked to the campfire. "I mean, you can't just break it in half, that's not how royalty works!" 

"How would you know?" 

"Do you really think that breaking a crown into pieces and handing it to others is going to make them royalty?" He continued. "No! Because that wasn't accurate." 

"Why do I have a feeling he's got his own throne at home?" Percy whispered to Nova. 

"That wouldn't surprise me." Nova laughed. 

When they arrived at the fire, Nova noticed the whole school was there. It was quite the change from the small groups they've had all week. The flames glowed a bright gold as the Apollo cabin led the activity. The witch enjoyed the moment while it lasted, knowing very well that the fighting would start again the next morning.


	11. People Watching

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nova watches students enter into the competition.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize in advance, I took an unwilling break due to writer's block.

Nova didn't have anything to do on Saturday, leading her to sit on the Grand Staircase and watch as people entered their names in the fountain throughout the day. She had a book resting on her lap, open to the page she had been on since breakfast. The cheers from surrounding students that sounded every few minutes piqued her curiosity. It was nearly as entertaining as watching how the Hogwarts, Durmstrang, and Beauxbatons students interacted on the day they entered in the Goblet of Fire.

The contrast between the excitement of Hogwarts, the regal manner of Beauxbatons, and the seriousness of Durmstrang was fascinating to Nova. Now, it seemed like everyone was more or less the same. Everyone was pretty excited, others tried to intimidate the other students. The one person that stood out to Nova was Clarisse. The daughter of Ares had a commanding presence, one that caused the crowd of kids to part as she made her way to the fountain.

"Going to enter?"

"Nah," Nova turned to Percy, who had just dropped his name in. "They're going to need me as a healer. Plus, I'm not super keen on the possibility that I may die if I'm on one of the teams. Granted, I'm not super keen on the thought that anyone may die."   


"I doubt they'd let that happen," Percy noted, causing both Nova and Harry to let out exasperated sighs.

"They can't do anything if the cup is charmed into a portkey in the final task," Harry explained.

"Obviously they'll ban any curses or hexes that could kill the target," Nova continued. "But that doesn't mean people will completely follow the rules."

"And think about the prophecy," he said, sitting next to Nova. "' _ The heroes combined, shall face the unkind _ .' Must involve this bloody competition."

"It could involve something else," Percy noted. "Something bigger."

"Exactly." Nova and Harry chorused.

"Wait, what?"

Harry told Percy what had happened the night of the third task, and Nova half-tuned him out. There wasn't a single part of her that wanted to hear a telling of the story again. Tuning back into people watching, she saw Annabeth and Hermione immersed in a conversation as they both slipped their names into the fountain. "So that's how the ceiling works?"

"Yes, and it's all detailed in  _ Hogwarts: A History _ ," Hermione smiled. "I could lend you the book if you like."

"As long as I can borrow any others," Annabeth agreed. "Magic is a lot more interesting than I initially expected."

The Head Girl couldn't help but smile. She knew the girls would get along once they got to know each other, and the two being roommates seemed to help significantly. Soon, Nova found herself fully tuning Harry out as she continued to people watch. It wasn't until she felt a hand on her shoulder that she moved back to the conversation. "Hm?"

"Is that why you seemed off during that summer?" Percy asked, empathetically.

"What?" Nova took a second to remember the topic of conversation. "Oh… yeah. It's a bit hard to grieve when you're preparing for war and fighting it. And vice versa. I'm honestly a little surprised you even noticed."

"The pranks that the Stoll's pulled to help the camp morale didn't have your touch," he shrugged.   


"My touch?" she giggled.   


"You know, the little hint of magic you always added," Percy scratched his neck, slightly embarrassed.

"Ah, yes of course," Nova shook her head in amusement. "That would be the joke shop products from Zonko's."   


Harry laughed at Nova's comment and was about to add to it when Draco approached the trio. "Harry, could I talk to you for a minute?"

"Sure, what's up?" Harry followed Draco up the staircase, to a quieter area of the castle. If Nova wasn't mistaken, the Slytherin seemed almost nervous.

"I should probably head back to the dorms," Percy sighed. "It's been a week and we already got homework I don’t want to do."

"Let me know if you need help," Nova offered.

"Thanks, Nova." the demigod left in the direction of the lodges, leaving Nova alone again.

Through the rest of the day, Nova would have short conversations with anyone passing by, and tried and failed to get back to her book. Cree had joined her after lunch and watched as the Stoll's entered into the competition, not without pulling a prank. Their pieces of paper somehow turned the water in the fountain a deep purple, and the Charms professor, Krishna Padamse, had to fix it. It had taken longer than expected, leaving a whole group of students waiting to enter watching the scene unfold.

By the time the campfire rolled around, Nova was longing for her bed. Admittedly, Payton wasn't a terrible roommate, but they didn’t talk that much in the dorm room. Nova was only in the room when she had to be, making the lack of conversation not feel awkward. There was still tension present whenever they were in the same room.

Not wanting to waste time, Nova immediately went to get ready for bed as soon as the campfire ended, and plopped down on her bed. She was too tired to notice the curtains were still open but didn’t bother moving to do that when Payton walked in.

"Nova, are you okay?"

"Just tired, why do you ask?" She turned to face the wall.

"Because this competition must be hard for you," she said. "With the reminder of Cedric's death, and all that."


	12. Rules

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Premise: Nova has a nightmare and the teams for the competition are chosen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quickly just want to apologize for the overdue update! Took a break for my mental health because Hanukkah ended up being very stress filled this year. Hoping to start updating this fic once a week from now on :)

Nightmares were a common occurrence for demigods, being nearly unavoidable. Some were stronger than others, leaving the demigod remembering every vivid detail when they woke up. Others were weaker, causing the demigod to wake up with a few details forgotten. Nova was unlucky, her latest nightmare leaving her confused in the morning.

_The demigoddess stood in the corner of a dimly lit room, watching as a house-elf brought a letter over to their master, who was lounging on a plush leather couch. "Great. A letter from that wretched school. Now scram, I want dinner in an hour."_

_"Yes, mistress." The house-elf squeaked and scampered off._

_Unable to help her curiosity, Nova moved closer to the girl and peered over her shoulder. The name addressed in the letter was blurry, but the contents spoke of the transfer program. The witch tossed it aside in annoyance and got up from her spot on the couch. Nova followed her as she stormed out of the home and into the adjacent forest._

_Nova had to jog to follow her pace but stopped when the air chilled. It was dusk, but the sky darkened quicker than usual. The atmosphere changed to one that was all too familiar, and yet brand new at the same time. The demigoddess's breath shook as she couldn't contain her fear. "You've come back sooner than expected."_

_"That transfer program that has been rumoured is official," the girl said, clearly annoyed. "I can't just play nice and be chummy with all of them! This is complete rubbish."_

_"Listen, child," the voice said. It sounded like it was coming from all around them, and the voice belonged to no one in particular. Gaea was what immediately came to Nova's mind, but the voice was male. It was Ouranos, it had to be. "You said you wanted to fulfill your former Master's plans and kill that boy you keep talking about, didn’t you?"_

_"Yes."_

_"Seeing as you follow me now, you will abide by my rules," Ouranos commanded. "Go to this transfer program. Make friends with them or don't, it makes no difference to me. Follow the program, and update me monthly on what is going on. We cannot be hasty, patience is a must. When the time comes, you will help me regain my physical form, so I can destroy those wretched demigods and you can kill your enemy."_

_Nova watched the girl, knowing very well what Ouranos was doing. He made it seem like they were allies and working together when in reality, the Titan was in complete control. He was just going to kill her when he was done with her, and she didn’t stand a chance. "Thank you, Master Ouranos."_

_The sky lightened back to dusk, and the atmosphere changed back to normal. Nova found herself following the traitor back to the manor, but as she walked the scene began to melt away._

She couldn’t make sense of what she had just seen. The Sky Titan's voice was clear in her mind, but everything else was fuzzy when she woke up. Nova sat up, and placed her head in her hands, trying to process what had just happened. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," Nova answered Payton, who had pulled back the curtains to sit on the edge of Nova's bed. Her arm was outstretched, holding Nova's water bottle out to her. "Thanks."

"Wanna talk about it?" Payton asked, a worried look in her eyes. Nova shook her head after taking a giant swig of water and took a deep breath.

"Not really, no," she sighed. "I'd rather process everything first."

"Maybe breakfast will help," she said.

"Ah, yes," Nova had a small amused smile on her face. "Eating. What a concept."

"Just get dressed so we can go," Payton laughed. After taking another minute trying to rack her brain for a clearer image of the nightmare, Nova got up and changed before grabbing a book and heading out.

The girls were silent as they made their way to The Great Hall, but the silence wasn't filled with as much tension as it had on the first night. While it was still heavy, Nova found herself feeling less apprehensive around her old enemy. Payton really did seem to want to be her friend, and even if last night's comment was a little odd, Nova knew in her heart that it was well-intended.

When they got to The Great Hall, the girls separated and Nova made a beeline for her usual group. She sat in between Cree and Percy, the table already in deep discussion about the teams being chosen tonight. She didn’t add much to the conversation, feeling drained. "Nova, is everything okay?"

"Nightmare," she shook her head, looking at Cree. "I'll be fine."

"What about?" Percy interjected, the group's attention shifting to The Head Girl.

"It was unclear, but I believe that one of the people in the dream was the traitor," she said. "I never saw their face, but they were talking to Ouranos. It felt more like I was in a Pensieve."

"Pensieve?"

"It stores memories," Harry explained. "Depending on the memory, it can feel like you're in a nightmare."

"And it felt like I was intruding on someone else's memory," Nova sighed. "But we shouldn't worry about that right now, there's still another eight hours for people to enter."

Nova took to people watching on the stairs again, paying more attention to the book in her hands than she was yesterday. "Didn’t realize this year would reopen old wounds."

"Neither did I," Nova said, turning to Harry. "How are you feeling?"

"Angry," he admitted. "But who isn’t?"

"You and Percy have the worst luck," she stated. "Once everything's calm, something else pops up."

"My scar hasn’t hurt, which is a bright side," Harry reached up and touched his forehead instinctively. "But it feels like it will any minute. As if I hadn’t actually killed him."

"Voldemort is dead, Harry," the witch reassured her friend. "We don’t have to worry about him."

"Just need to worry about something completely out of my range."

"Isn't that the point of this competition?" Nova chuckled darkly. "To ensure it won’t be?"

"Sound about right." Harry shrugged, a small smile playing on his lips. The two of them ended up chatting for most of the day. Cree joined in later, stating that Nova's Head Girl duties have deprived him of time spent with her.

After dinner, the school settled into the balconies as if they were going through a sorting ceremony, waiting for the names to appear. Instead of Professor Tahamente making the speech, he left the floor to McGonagall. The woman managed to quiet the entire student body with one stern look, before beginning her speech. "In a moment, the fountain will reveal the teams. If your name is called, please make your way back into The Great Hall, and sit with your chosen partner. I will announce the names as they appear, and while this happens I expect there to be silence until the end."

The headmistress stepped back, and everyone watched as the fountain began to glow. The teams came up in four groups each time, and there were mixed reactions. "Harry Potter and Percy Jackson."

The two boys high fived, and happily descended down the stairs. No one was surprised at that pairing, many students finding it unfair. "Clarisse La Rue and Draco Malfoy."

Clarisse shoved past the Slytherin, making him stumble as he followed her. Draco didn't seem pleased either, his signature scowl on his face. "Jason Grace and Luna Lovegood."

A few classmates snickered, and Jason seemed a little worried. Luna was often in her own world, and to Jason, she didn’t seem like much of a fighter. "Leo Valdez and Hermione Granger."

Leo immediately tried to charm his new partner, and Hermione rolled her eyes at his attempt. "Annabeth Chase and Seamus Finnigan."

The two walked in silence, Nova noticing the gears in Annabeth's head-turning. She never stops thinking about a strategy, even when she doesn't know the challenge at hand. "Hazel Levesque and Blaise Zabini."

Hazel glanced at her partner as they walked together, and Blaise was completely stone-faced. It was always hard to tell what he was thinking, but he had fought in the war against Voldemort with most of the Slytherins. "Nico di Angelo and Ginny Weasley."

Nova thought their dynamic would be interesting. Both were smart, but polar opposites as far as she was concerned. "Travis Stoll and Ronald Weasley."

It was almost like Ron was partnering up with one of his brothers, which screamed utter chaos. The next four teams came up quicker than the first two times, the air growing tenser as everyone anticipated who would be next. "Meg McCaffery and Neville Longbottom."

Everyone tried to hold back a snicker while watching Neville glance at the short and temperamental thirteen-year-old. Meg had given Neville a once over, before nodding once in approval and bounding down the stairs. "Piper McLean and Dean Thomas."

Dean smiled at Piper, and they started chatting in low voices. The demigoddess could tell they'd make a great team and smiled to herself. "Frank Zhang and Pansy Parkinson."

Murmurs started, and Frank was clearly nervous. He stopped at Nova and whispered to her. "Should I be worried?"

"A little bit, yeah," Nova told him. "I'm sure if you sit with Hazel it'll be fine. Blaise can keep Pansy in her lane."

"Thanks," Frank audibly gulped and made his way down to an annoyed Slytherin, who glared at the Praetor. McGonagall cleared her throat to tell the school to be quiet and continued.

"Kayla Knowles and Cree Fletcher."

Cree looked at Nova for guidance, and she assured him that Kayla would be a fantastic partner. Relieved, he left her side and met the archer a the bottom of the stairs. From where Nova stood, she could see that those two were already getting along, and it made her relax significantly. Cree was her best friend and if anyone would make sure he made it through this alive, she was glad Kayla was that person.

The rest of the teams were called out, and by the end of it, everyone was either bored or fidgety. "Would our Head Boy and Girl please join us in The Great Hall, as well as Will Solace. As for the rest of you, you may go to the lodges, and get ready for the campfire."

"Why are they asking for me?" Will asked as the three students made their way in.

"I'm guessing it's because they want the healers to be in the loop," Nova told him. "Chiron likely mentioned that you'd be an important asset."

Nova often aided the Apollo kids, and especially Will, when they needed an extra medic. The two of them had taught each other different healing techniques, and Nova supplied the camp with healing potions. It benefited them in the wars they fought within a year of each other.

"Congratulations to all of you that were chosen for the championship," Professor Tahamente smiled at the group. "There will be many trials and tribulations ahead of us, but please remember that this is about building teamwork and developing a bond that may assist us all in the future. Our first task at hand will take place on Saturday, November 21. In the Quad next week, we will set up stations for each of your teams to build a chariot together. Lucas and Nova will oversee it in shifts to ensure there is fair play. We will have Pukwudgie guarding the area during the night so that we can make sure there won’t be any sabotage.

"Will Solace will act as one of the healers on sight during the competition. The others will be Nurse Hawkins, Madame Pomphrey, and Nova Sterling. There will be no additions to the chariots that can potentially ruin another team's chariot during the race, and we will be checking for any extra charms on the chariots that could allow anyone to cheat. As for specific rules of the games, that will be revealed on game day. Are we clear?"

"Yes, sir," Everyone chorused.

"If you have any questions in between now and the day of the competition, please don’t hesitate to ask," Tahamente smiled. He dismissed the group and stepped away from the podium. As soon as they all made it to the campfire, the teams were greeted by applause.

Some students basked in the attention, others seemed nervous. The only thing certain at the moment was that the dynamics were about to change.


	13. A Suspect

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nova oversees the chariot building and has an unpleasant run-in with Pansy.

The second week of classes was coming to a close, and Nova's mind was still on the nightmare she had six days prior. Her friends could tell her head was somewhere else, but the only person that brought it up was Cree when the two of them were alone. She spent most of her time zoning out in classes or keeping to herself on the Northern Tower.

During Defence Against the Dark Arts, she was barely paying attention as Hermione and Annabeth answered yet another question, not allowing the rest of the class to participate. The Head Girl doodled in her notebook half the time, barely paying attention when Professor Lieberman asked them to get into groups and discuss amongst themselves for ten minutes. "Nova."

"What?" She looked at Cree and rubbed her arm where he nudged her.

"We're supposed to be discussing how to defeat a manticore by using both magic, and weapons," he explained, not masking the worried look on his face.

"I think it has to be done with at least five people," Annabeth said, leaning against the back of her chair. "Percy, Grover, Thalia, and I had to fight one and we didn't beat it."

"That was when Artemis's Hunters came to camp during winter break that one year, right?" Nova asked, and Annabeth nodded.

"I still get nightmares," she sighed.

"What do you think the best strategy would be?" Frank was curious, having never heard that story before.

"Three wizards and two demigods would do the trick," Annabeth decided, her plans almost always having worked out in the end.

"Three stunning spells at one target, and then the demigods can kill it when it's down," Hermione added, knowing exactly where Annabeth was going with her idea.

"Makes sense," Cree commented, making the girls smile in triumph.

"Times up!" Professor Liberman announced. "Starting with group one, I would like to hear what everyone came up with."

Nova went back to doodling in her notebook as the groups shared their discussion, and didn't pay attention to the rest of the class. She could feel Cree glancing at her continuously throughout the morning, and it didn't stop by the time History of Magic rolled around. During the middle of class, as Professor Trebunskaya droned on about Pukwudgie's and their relationship with wizardkind through the centuries, Nova addressed her friend. "Yes, Cree?"

"Is everything okay, Nova?" he whispered. "You've been out of it before, but it's never this bad."

"Yeah," she lied, but quickly corrected herself after Cree gave her an unbelieving look. "No, I'm not. Never in my life have I been this shaken up after a nightmare, but this time it just feels different."

"Different, how?" he pressed for more information, hoping that it would help his best friend more than anything.

"I don’t know," Nova shrugged. "Maybe it’s because we're one step closer to figuring out the prophecy. Not that we're any closer, but it just feels more real than it should."

"At this point in the year? That's fair," Cree couldn’t help but chuckle, causing the two to be caught. 

"Sorry, Professor!" they chorused. They went back to whispering, grateful to be sitting at the back, and tried to work through where Nova's mind was at.

At the end of class, Nova went straight to the quad to oversee the teams building their chariots. The project had started two days prior, and it was already utter chaos. Not only were some teams not getting along - namely Clarisse and Draco - but the quad was an absolute mess. The Hephaestus kids were the ones most guilty of it, too focused on working to realize they were invading another team's workspace.

Lucas dealt with the messes the most, and Nova was the mediator when a fight occurred. Sometimes, Nova would witness Travis and Ron discussing potential pranks to incorporate but usually ignored them. Today, she let her curiosity get the better of her. "Please tell me it will be harmless."

"I swear on the River Styx I wouldn't add a prank to a chariot if it caused harm to anything or anyone," Travis promised the Head Girl. "You know more than anyone that a harmless prank is the best kind."

"Just make sure it's not one that the judges can consider cheating," she sighed, smiling. "I want you two to compete fairly, like everyone else."

"You got it, boss," Travis joking saluted Nova, and Ron laughed at his new friend's antics. As Nova continued walking around to keep an eye on everyone, she noticed Neville giving Frank an apologetic look, and the Roman demigod seemed worried.

"Is everything okay?" she asked the boys, quietly.

"Pansy is terrifying," Frank whispered.

"She's somehow gotten worse," Neville added.

"Oh yeah, that makes sense," Nova shook her head. "Look, I wish I could do anything but I can't. She awful, and I'm sorry you have to deal with her."

"Got anything to say to my face, Sterling?" A voice sneered behind her.

"Actually, yeah," Nova found Pansy more of a nuisance than someone to be afraid of, and today was no exception. "If you want to win this competition - and I know you do - you'll have to learn to be nice to Frank. Teamwork is how you're able to succeed, not that I'm surprised you're unaware of that."

"You dirty little-"

"Oh, I'm not finished," Nova smiled sweetly. "I may not have evidence yet, but I know you're hiding something and I intend to find out what it is. Watch your back." 

In truth, Nova didn’t have anything on Pansy except for a hunch. There were very few suspects for the traitor amongst the students, but the Slytherin girl was high on the list. Pansy never seemed to actively want to get along with anyone, and it was clear she didn’t care for this program. All Nova needed was evidence, but she had to pull a few strings to get it.

Pansy stood there speechless, her face was riddled with anger. Nova ignored her and turned to the boys once again. "Good luck, and shout if you two need anything."

" _Confringo_!"

" _Protego_." Pansy tried to attack Nova as she was walking away from the two groups, but Nova expertly blocked it. Before a full-on duel could break out, Professor McGonagall and Chiron rushed over to the commotion.

"What is going on here?" McGonagall asked sternly, addressing the question more to Nova.

"Pansy tried to attack me using _confringo_ , and I protected myself against the spell," she answered, calmly.

"Is this true?" Chiron asked the witnesses. Frank, Neville, and Meg nodded unable to hide their shock.

"Miss Parkinson, I thought we were done with this childish behaviour," the Headmistress glared down at the student. "Fifty points from Thunderbird, and a month's worth of detention with me. If I see this again, you will be disqualified from the tournament, and we will find a new partner for Mr Zhang."

Frank gave Nova a 'please let that happen' look, causing her to stifle a giggle. "As for you Miss Sterling."

Nova turned back to McGonagall, a slight feeling of anxiety bubbling in her stomach. "Ten points to Pukwudgie for your honesty and integrity. You will receive no punishment, but I do hope to not find you in this situation again."

"Thank you, Professor," Nova relaxed. "I understand."

Satisfied with that response, the teachers moved on and surveyed the rest of the area. Slightly annoyed with Pansy, Nova continued doing her job and firmly but kindly told everyone to get back to work. The champions complied, either starting to work or arguing with each other.

As the weeks went by, Nova got increasingly frustrated with Pansy and switched jobs with Lucas. She was growing more suspicious about her, but couldn't find the right time to try and look for the evidence she needed. Her friends were in on the idea, everyone agreeing that Pansy was the most likely candidate - although not the only one. The suspicion, however, was pushed to the side within a few weeks after Pansy had seemingly calmed down.

When October hit, there was excitement in the school once again. The corkboards in each lodge contained a notice about the first Baypoint Village visit of the year, happening during the second Saturday of the month. It was a chance for the kids to have a day to relax and not worry about school, the prophecy, or the championship and everyone was stoked. Nova, in particular, was curious about a new shop that was added to the village over the summer and couldn't wait to check it out.


End file.
